What is caviar? These little black balls are fish eggs, sturgeon more accurately. Wanted, precious, rare, it is a symbol of unbridled wealth hoisted with diamonds. Caviar enchanted the Russian emperors. Caviar is associated with luxury and is often considered inaccessible. It is the roe of sturgeon caught in the Caspian Sea. But this aspect has three main variations, because there are three different types of sturgeon swimming in that sea. And it is true that it is expensive.
Beluga sturgeon provides the most expensive eggs, reaching close to $ 2,000 retail per pound of high quality caviar. This does not necessarily mean that they are the best eggs. Beluga caviar usually has a color ranging from light gray to dark gray and is often the least intensely tasty of the three types of caviar. A large amount of beluga is processed during the autumn harvest.
Osetra sturgeon provides eggs that are a smaller point in size (fish usually does not exceed 2.15 meters) and a big difference in price (one kilogram of high quality osetra comes for under $ 1,000). But the osetra caviar has a distinctive feature. Because sturgeon swims deeper in the sea than other fish, and because of this it has a different diet, the taste of its eggs is quite different.
Sevruga sturgeon, on the other hand, is the smallest of the three fish (only 1.65 meters), and the small eggs it provides result in the lowest price (usually around $ 650 per kilogram of superior quality caviar).
Sevruga caviar is usually the darkest of the three, ranging from medium gray to almost black and, to my taste, looks the saltiest (by seawater) and the most intensely tasty. It is important to remember that when someone buys “only” sevruga, he is not buying an inferior product at all. A large amount of sevruga caviar is processed during the spring harvest.
Fortunately, caviar is not ingested too much: it only needs 10 to 20 grams per person.
And we can even eat less if we decide to have a “taste” tasting. Its taste is sufficiently marked that it does not need to fill the mouth. Are these little black eggs worth that price? Because of its rarity, yes. By your taste, it’s up to you to judge!
When you look at the right caviar in the eggs, make sure the grains are clean and protrude. The word caviar appeared in 1432 in the form of cavyaire, then became caviat in 1552. Whether it’s beluga sturgeon, osetra or sevruga sturgeon, the important thing is to know how to eat a caviar.
Tips on eating caviar
1- Know the real caviar
All types of caviar come from sturgeon. The latter produces eggs and their price can vary considerably (up to $ 14,000) depending on their quality. The bigger the caviar, the more expensive it is. Beluga is usually the most expensive caviar.
2- Keep Cool
You should always keep your caviar at – 2 ° C to 4 ° C. You can enjoy your caviar in the box using an individual teaspoon. This is for many people the best way to enjoy this pleasure of the gods.
3- Use the appropriate utensil
You should never eat your caviar with a stainless steel spoon or fork or place it on a metal or steel plate. This can really significantly change the taste of caviar and even make it unpleasant. It is desirable to eat sturgeon eggs with a glass, ceramic or plastic spoon to retain all their flavor.
4- Try different types of caviar
The different varieties of caviar do not have the same flavor. Try for example caviar from Baeri (Aquitaine), Ossetra (Israel, Bulgaria or China), Schrenki (from the Amour River between Russia and China), Beluga (from Iran and Bulgaria), Sevruga (Bulgaria), Ossetra Persicus (Italy).
5- Taste slowly
You should never eat caviar with a shell. Taste it in small quantities using a small spoon that you should fill in only half or a little more. You can enjoy its charm by taking small portions of caviar than by taking big bites, because the taste of this delicacy can sometimes surprise or scare you if you put too much in your mouth.
At least once in a lifetime, enjoy caviar!
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